A diabetes log book you print yourself
A store-bought diabetes log book has the same columns for everyone. The log sheets you make here have yours: the times you actually test, the unit your meter shows, and room for insulin, carbs or what you ate if you need it. Choose a length from 2 weeks to 1 year, print, and keep the pages together in a folder or clip. That is your blood sugar log book. When it runs out, you make the next one, free.
Set a first day before printing and every page comes out dated, so a 3-month or 1-year log book is ready to use with no dates to write by hand.
Log sheet, monthly page or pocket card: which to print
| Format | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Full page, 1 week | One landscape page per week, big boxes | Testing several times a day, older eyes, the fridge door |
| Full page, 2 weeks | Two weeks on one sheet | Fewer pages to carry to an appointment |
| Monthly page | Days 1 to 31 on one portrait page | The big picture; a year fits in 12 pages |
| Pocket card | Two cards per sheet, two weeks each, folds to A6 | Keeping the log in your meter case |
The monthly blood sugar log has the month layout set up for you. For the others, pick Size and Per page in the settings above.
What to write in a blood sugar log book
- The date and the reading, in the unit your meter shows. Use one box per testing time and leave it empty when you didn't test.
- Insulin or tablets, if you take them. Turn on Insulin dose in the same box and each box holds the reading on top and the units below.
- Carbs or a few words about the meal, so you can see later what a reading followed.
- Notes: a workout, illness, stress, a late meal, a low and how you treated it.
The guide on how to keep a blood sugar log goes through each column in more detail. Your target range comes from your doctor; the blood sugar levels chart shows the official targets next to it.
Why I still keep a paper log after all these years
I've had type 1 since 2006. I check at least 5 times a day, up to about 10, depending on activity and food. That's my own routine, not a target for you; test as often as your doctor or diabetes nurse suggests.
Every reading goes into my log. I go back over past readings all the time and adjust my insulin and the carbs I eat from what I see there. Without a log, keeping my glucose in my range would be completely impossible. It helps with today's decisions and with the long view: how a workout, the insulin I took or an ordinary busy week moves my numbers. Changes to your own doses are something to work out with your doctor or diabetes nurse.
My log is for me. When my doctor asks, I tell them my glucose at certain times of day. If you'd rather hand your sheets over, here is how to bring a blood sugar log to your appointment.
Not medical advice. This log is a place to write down your numbers. Your target range, testing times and doses come from your doctor, diabetes nurse or clinic.
Questions about log sheets and log books
Is there a free diabetic log book I can print?
Yes. Make one here: pick your columns and a length from 2 weeks to 1 year, then print it or save it as a PDF. There is no sign-up and no charge.
Can I get a diabetes log book as a PDF?
Yes. Press Download PDF and every page of your log is saved in one PDF file. Print it now, or keep the file and print more pages later.
Can I get a free diabetic log book by mail?
We don't mail anything. The log is made in your browser and printed at home. Some clinics and meter makers hand out paper log books, so it is worth asking yours.
What is the difference between a log sheet and a log book?
A log sheet is one page, usually a week or a month. A log book is many sheets kept together. Here you print as many sheets as you need and keep them in a folder or clip.
Is a paper log better than an app?
Both work, and many people use both. If your readings go into an app automatically, a paper log is still a backup for when the phone dies. I compare them in paper log vs app.